Understand your audience’s needs and concerns

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In this video, you'll learn a two-step process. Step one is to uncover exactly who your audience is and why they're listening to you. Step two is to understand their needs and concerns. When you go through the two-step process, you're able to share information with a more enthusiastic audience.

- The minute you step in front of an audience,you have the opportunity to connectand motivate them about your topic.However, there's a process to understandingwho they are, their needs and concerns,and ultimately what will excite them.That occurs long before you take the stageor enter into a meeting room.In my experience, the best way to connect withyour audience is to do your researchbefore your presentation.Your homework includes a two-step process.

First, know your audience right down to their demographicsand why they're listening to you.Second, figure out what concerns them,such as their critical issues, hot buttons, and touchysubjects, if any, around your topic of discussion.So, before you go in front of any audiencefor a meeting, seminar, keynote, or company presentation,here's what you need to ask and then answerto successfully connect, understand, and excite any group.

Step one, you must get to know your audiencea little more by answering these questions.Did this group choose you as their speakerto gather additional knowledge on a topic?Or, have they been mandated to listento the information that you're going to share?Here's a tip, this is key informationthat often sets the tone for any type of presentation.It's the, "I want to listen" versusthe "I have to listen."What is their role in the meeting?Is it part of their work, networking,extra curricular activities?What is their position in the company,and how much do you know about their industry?Here's another tip.

Understanding the active role they play or theirprofessional motivation for attending the meeting helps youto uncover any professional issues that could arise.How much do you know about their demographics?Age, income, location, occupation, and education.Chances are there could be culturalor even geographic biases, so getting a really clearpicture of your target audience members will help youto speak directly and more emphatically with them.

The more you understand your audience,you can express yourself and deliver on a levelthat they can better relate to you.Step two, knowing the who part really helps youto uncover the next level of understanding,which is based on your audience's needs,concerns, or critical issues.Here are the questions that you should ask and answer.Have other speakers presented to this group before,and what was the audience's level of understanding?You can also ask for access to any informationon past presentation and audience reactions.

Survey results are really helpful if they're available.Were there any past issues that came up around your topic?What were the comments and the questions,and how were they answered?How were any touchy subjects treated?Did the audience want to address these topics more deeply?Even go beyond the scope of your presentation.If you have access to an event coordinatoror a work supervisor, ask for more in depth informationabout your discussion topic, whether it's been well receivedor not appreciated by this audience.

You can even take it a step furtherand ask if there's any video footage so you can watchhow the group interacts with other presenters.Let me share an example.I was teaching a social media champion building workshopfor a New York City PR agency.About a month prior, the agency's employeeshad participated in a social media boot camp.Of course, the first question I askedwas whether they videotaped the sessionand if I could watch the program to get a feelfor employee reaction and their level of participation.

So luckily they did videotape, and I studiedseveral hours of video footage.I watched employee body languageand the line of questioning for the presenter.I could tell these participants were not comfortable,familiar, and at times even confused with certain topics,including data analytics, and measuring program success.This really helped me to better relate to this audience,and adapt my presentation style to their needs.But, if I hadn't asked for the video,then I wouldn't have known this critical information.

Lastly, when it comes to any topics with associated issues,are you prepared with answers to the questionsyou hope don't surface during your presentation?Because this is exactly what you should prepare for.My best advice is to have the answers to the toughquestions ready, the ones you don't wantyour audience members to ask.Then, you'll be ready to answer anything.Now, think about the last time you presented to an audience.How well did you know the people?Did you understand their needs,concerns, and critical issues?The next time you're getting ready to present,you can review the two-step process.

If you take the time to answer all of the questions,then you may find it easier to understandany group, navigate their issues, and share your informationwith a much more enthusiastic audience.

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Released

10/13/2016

Learn how to create a better rapport with your audience and handle negative interactions with unruly audience members. PR expert Deirdre Breakenridge helps you recognize the personality "signals" of hecklers in advance and what to do when you are interrupted. She also helps you identify potential champions and enlist their support before you ever step foot on stage. Whether you are speaking to a large or small audience, Deirdre provides tips for keeping your composure and maintaining focus, from the moment you start speaking to answering difficult questions during Q&A.